


Endless Knights

by DorkyBlueFish



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Knight! Blake, Princess! Yang, Redeath AU, Romance, Temporary Character Death, major character death but don't worry about it, seriously everything is fine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24729985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DorkyBlueFish/pseuds/DorkyBlueFish
Summary: A princess' wish, a knight's vow and the twisted web that keeps them apart. Will the two be able to tear their way through, snap the threads that bind, or will they be doomed to struggle against their fate forever? Which was truly endless? Suffering or devotion? Fear or faith? Fate or love?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Neptune Vasilias/Sun Wukong, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 36
Kudos: 106





	1. Prologue: The First Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Yoooooo! Hey y'all! It's Blue! I'm alive! Sorry for making y'all wait so long. Life has been... Ya know lol. I have not been able to write for the longest time, but I want to get back into it! This is an idea that I've had for over a year now and I'm really excited to share it with you guys! I'm not sure how consistently I'll be able to upload chapters, but I've got some chapters on the back burner. As for Fallen Snow, Silver Wings, I very much intend to finish that one. When? Uuuuuuuh, I'll have to get back to you on that one my dude. But in the meantime, have some more gay! I hope you guys like it! Lemme know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy the Bees!

Yang softly tiptoed down the stairs of the grand hall, her eyes darting back and forth. She took each step with ease and precision, wincing every time wood squeaked under her weight. She had become somewhat of an expert in silently navigating the castle at this point (with the assistance of her stealthy knight), but today she was especially cautious.

She did _not_ want to get caught.

If she got caught it would mean a whole day of-

"Your highness." A voice seemingly came out of no where. Yang gasped and jumped at the arrival of the second most silent person in the castle.

"Heeeyy, Glynda." The younger blonde greeted the elder. The woman caught her _just_ as she was down the stairs.

Damn.

"Mmm," She huffed, peering down from her wire-frame spectacles. "Your highness, I'm sure you're aware of your daily responsibilities."

"Mhm, Yup!"

"Preparing for your coronation, studying up on the guests, learning about the trad-"

"Yes, Glynda! I know!" Yang chuckled, stepping past the woman. "I was just heading to complete them! I'll meet you there!"

Taking longer and swifter strides, Yang attempted to speed to her next destination. After all, she didn't want the woman to point out that-

"Your highness, that isn't the way to the library."

Dammit.

"Yes, but I was just going to the training grounds to retrieve Ser Nightshade." Yang rationalized.

"We have other knights."

"You _know_ I feel safest with her."

Yang maintained eye-contact with her tutor and only mother figure she had ever had. She stared deep into those emerald eyes, begging for them to take sympathy on her royal butt and let her go.

Luckily, Yang won that battle.

"Fine, but be back within the hour." Glynda relented, rolling her eyes and stomping off in the direction of the library. Yang would probably pay for that when they finally arrived at the library. But hey! Yang would have her knight with her.

And that thought alone made Yang's heart _soar_.

She almost sprinted to the training grounds. She didn't of course, that sort of behavior was not befitting of a princess.

Of a _queen_ , soon.

The thought slowed her down.

Tapestries lined the halls she ventured down, giant woven murals of great rulers. Some of her blood, others before her line was started. But one thing was certain if their tapestry adorned the wall; they achieved greatness.

Would Yang ever achieve greatness? Did she even want it in the first place? She wasn't so sure. She was born a princess, a royal. A person destined to lead.

But... Was that _truly_ the life for her?

Truth be told, the blonde dreamed of adventure! Of thrills and chills and doing things no one else dared to do. But if she was queen, which was getting more and more likely with her twenty-first birthday drawing closer, she wouldn't get to do _any_ of that. She would be stuck here, in the same castle as always. With the same people as always.

Not everyone was bad though.

As soon as she opened the doors to the outside training ground, she saw her.

_**Thunk!** _

An arrow made it's way to the center of the target board, snug to the other two that had been released before the blonde entered the court. The archer reached into the quiver on her back and retrieved another arrow. The princess put her stealth to use once again, as to not disturb the focused knight. Now leaning against a wooden beam, Yang watched her.

Blake had beautiful form when it came to archery. She placed the arrow across her bow, eyes still trained on the target. Slender, sturdy hands pulled back on the taut string, drawing more tension for the shot. It would go unnoticed by most onlookers, but the princess (who had seen the knight practice many times over the years) noted the little squint in her eyes and the small twitch of her feline ears just before her right hand let the arrow loose.

_**Thunk!** _

Again, the arrow found it's place in the center, with the rest.

"Hello, your highness." The faunus said, not even looking over, a smirk gracing her face.

"Aww, I thought I was getting better at that." Yang complained, stepping into the grass to approach the archer. This time, Blake _did_ look over to her, the girl's amber eyes locked with Yang's lilac.

The princess' heart always did a stutter step when that happened.

"You are, but I just hear better than most. Remember?" Blake replied, pointing to the ears atop her head. Her knight was different from any other knight they had. Well, she was different than anyone Yang had ever known.

Blake was a faunus, a person with a single animal feature. Most people Yang interacted with called them "savage animals" or "unruly mongrels". "Ignorant" Yang wished to call them. As the princess, however, she could not. She couldn't speak up against them.

But she wished to. Yang grew up with Blake. She was no savage, no mongrel. Some argued she was an exception and it was "trained" out of her. It _sickened_ her. She was a person, just like Yang.

An equal.

If only they were treated as such.

The knight reached for another arrow. Besides the fact that she was a faunus, most would say that Blake was an unconventional knight. Most were clad head to toe in armor, but Blake didn't bear much armor at all. Instead of gauntlets, Blake had a pair of black gloves that she cut the finger tips off of. It made it easier for her to shoot arrows, her weapon of choice.

Tight pants, knee pads and sturdy leather boots (with steel toes) adorned her legs. A thick scarf wrapped around her neck and over her collared shirt. On top of everything, she bore a wool sleeveless tunic that was tightened at the waist by a brown belt. The excess cloth swept to the left. On the left corner above the belt, was a symbol.

A nightshade.

All the knights of the castle were named after plants. It was awarded to them when they were knighted. Yang was the one who knighted Blake, much to everyone's protest. After all those years of training and pain, she _earned_ it.

Yang gave her the very fitting title of Nightshade. Beautiful and soft, but deadly and not to be taken lightly.

_**Thunk!** _

Another arrow hit the target.

Yang whistled and strode up to the faunus. Every single arrow hit within the smallest circle in the center of the hay target. Such precision was befitting of a master marksman, but the princess was always in awe by her talent.

No, that would discredit her work. Her _skill_. The skill that she trained and honed over the years.

Still, Yang _did_ like to poke fun...

"Really took your time with those shots though." She said, nudging her in the the ribs. "If you really wanted to impress your princess, you-"

_**Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!** _

Before she could even finish her sentence, Blake rapidly fired three arrows into the second, empty target. Each one landed directly in the middle ring, the first one in the dead center. Jaw still hanging loose, the princess directed her attention back to the knight, who was smirking at Yang's utterly gobsmacked expression.

"Have I impressed you, your highness?" She asked, her voice smoother than any royal robes Yang had ever worn.

"I-I... That is... Yes, you did." The blonde stumbled in a very undignified fashion. "I was only kidding before, Ser Nightshade. You always impress me."

"I'm glad to hear it. I would hate to learn that her highness did not believe I could properly protect her after all these years."

Fourteen years, to be exact. Yang still recalls that fateful day. She was thankful that _she_ was the one to discover Blake sneaking into the castle. If anyone else had found her, the young faunus would have been killed on sight. She argued to her father that the girl was talented and could serve them well. She didn't even consider that the girl might have a family to go to, but she later discovered that this wasn't the case.

If she never came to the castle, if she was never found by Yang, would Blake still be alive? The princess didn't want to think about that. A life without Blake was... It wasn't the life she wanted. These fourteen years had proven as much to her.

"Of course." She answered honestly, with a warm smile. "I wish _I_ learned more combat."

"You were instructed in self defense, your highness."

"Yeah, but I want to do some _real_ fighting. Maybe learn archery like you."

Glynda would throw a _fit_ though. A princess in _combat_? It was ludicrous. She was destined to lead, not to fight.

Or have adventure.

Or fun.

Or-

"Here." Blake said, scooting Yang to the side, right in front of another empty target. She positioned her so her left side was to the hay barrel. Then, she put the bow in the blonde's hand, lacing her own on top. A shiver went down Yang's spine as her knight pressed her body against her back.

"What are you doing?"

"Showing you how to shoot an arrow." Blake responded, her calm voice now _so_ close to Yang's ear. "Is that alright?"

"Y-yes." Breathed the blonde. As soon as she answered, the raven-haired knight retrieved an arrow and placed it in the bow, bringing Yang's hand up to the string as well. When Yang had the arrow across the bow, Blake dropped her hand down and adjusted the princess' posture slightly.

"First, take a deep breath."

She attempted to, but it was challenging to do with the knight's proximity. When she finally calmed her heart down to a more even beat, Yang nodded her head.

"Now, make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart."

Adjusting, Yang nodded once again.

"Nock the arrow."

"What?"

A small chuckle came from Blake, one that tickled the back of Yang's neck and reverberated against her back. Her right hand came back up and guided the blonde's to the end of the arrow, hooking it into the string.

"There's a cut at the end of the arrow." She explained. "It helps keep the arrow on the string."

"Oh." Was all Yang could say, once again frazzled by the close contact.

"Now this part is all about sensing and feeling. Aim is important, but it's also important to understand your surroundings."

"What do you mean?"

"You tell me. What do you think could affect your shot?"

The princess tried to feel her surroundings, to sense what Blake had. But all she could _feel_ was Blake's body against hers. How... _right_ it felt. She could almost feel her heart on her back, like the most beautiful drum she had ever heard.

"I really don't know."

"Well... The wind." Blake explained. "See how it's blowing to the east? It will affect the trajectory of the arrow."

"So... We shoot a little more west?"

"Exactly." Blake said, Adjusting Yang's angle in accordance to the wind. "Then draw back."

Yang attempted to draw back on her own, but the string had more resistance than she anticipated. Seeing her struggle, Blake helped her draw the rest of it back.

"And then... release."

In synchronicity, the two let the arrow loose. It didn't _quite_ make the center, but very close.

"Woah!"

"You did it, your highness." Her knight congratulated, their bodies still plush against one another. Yang turned her head to thank Blake, but when she did, she noticed just how close she was to the knight's lips. Eyes fixated on them, she exhaled shakily. Yang felt her knight's hand droop down with the bow, her eyes also roaming over her bottom lip.

"Blake." Yang whispered in a pleading breath. As if broken from a trance, the raven-haired girl clenched her eyes shut.

"We can't."

"No one is around."

"Someone could easily walk through the doors."

"That's what makes it exciting."

"That's what makes it _deadly_."

The princess winced. Blake was right. It was too risky to be doing something like this, especially in a broad open area like the training grounds. If anyone were to find out about _them_ , Blake would be... gone.

Still, she couldn't _help_ herself. Damn the rules, damn the risk. All Yang wanted was her freedom and her knight.

Her Blake.

"Please?" Yang begged. "Just one, a quick one."

The amber-eyed girl revealed the honey pooled iris' again and locked eyes with Yang's lavender field orbs.

"Is that an order?"

"You know I would never order you to do that. This is your decision." Yang whispered. "This is me, Yang. Not 'your highness'. And I'm asking you, Blake. Not 'Ser Nightshade'."

Honey eyes darted around, ears flicked, before Blake leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. The princess yearned for the kiss to last longer, but knew that was not to be this time. So she was satisfied with the affection she received.

"Hey, don't you have your studies today?"

"Uuuuuggh." Yang moaned. "Why did you have to bring that up? You really know how to kill a mood."

The knight chuckled again.

"You were sent to retrieve me, I imagine?" Blake figured. "Against Glynda's honest wishes."

"You know Glynda. She hates everyone."

"And everyone hates me." Mused the raven-haired knight. "Except your highness, of course."

"Of _course_." Yang assured her. "I wish they knew you like I do."

"I'm a faunus, I'm lucky to be where I am. Even if most knights don't respect me."

Yang pulled away from Blake's contact to better look at her.

"But don't you want _more_ from life?"

"What do you mean?"

"I... I don't know..." Yang lied. But her knight was not deceived.

"This is about the coronation."

"Yes."

"And the... Betrothal."

"... Yes."

An awkward silence fell upon them. They didn't like to talk about what life would be like after the coronation, after Yang got married. Married to a man she had yet to even meet. When it happened, they both knew their time would practically be over. She would share a bed with her husband, be in meetings all day. No time alone, no time to be together.

"What if we just ran away!" Yang proclaimed. "We could run far away and start a new life!"

"Your highness." She hissed in an urgent tone. "Keep your voice down."

"We could do it." pressed the princess, lowering her tone to ease Blake's worries.

"They would find us, your highness. They would find us and bring you back." Her knight explained. "And they would kill me the second they found us."

Again, Yang felt a stab of guilt. Their elite knight _would_ probably find them and kill her knight. She couldn't subject Blake to that for her own selfish whims.

"I just... Wish there was some way for this. For _us_."

"I..." The knight started and sighed. "I do too. But we can't change how we were born, when we were born."

"Yeah, no changing that." The reluctant princess (and future queen) conceded.

"We should probably head to the library." She said, heading to the targets to retrieve her arrows.

"Wait!" Yang called. "One more arrow? Show me how to do it one more time?"

The knight turned back and smiled.

"One more."

Resuming their previous position, Yang once again relished the feeling of having her knight against her back.

"Ready? Aim..."

_**Thunk!** _

**XxXxX**

Lilac eyes popped open as the blonde gasped and twitched in bed. She took a couple deep breaths and sat up. Her phone told her that she was up two _hours_ before she needed to be.

"Aw, come on." Yang bemoaned. These pesky dreams, she wished they would just stop already. They had been interrupting her sleep for years now and they only seemed to get worse as time passed.

Leaning over to her nightstand, she pulled over the drawer and groggily grabbed the glitter pen and small journal. Flipping to the first unused page (which were dwindling) she jotted down what she could remember of the dream before it left her completely.

It was another castle dream, at least it wasn't _too_ unpleasant. She had certainly dreamed of worse.

_Much_ worse.

Avoiding someone? Going to do archery? No, she was _meeting_ someone who was doing archery. That girl. She could never remember her name or exactly what she looked like, but she was in all of her dreams. There was this connection she felt to her, always this _strong_ connection.

"Who _are_ you?" Yang asked, still jotting down notes. One thing she vividly recalled was the way the girl's body felt against hers. That warmth that came from her, physically and emotionally. She called her 'your highness', but it wasn't the same as when the other lady did.

There was something _more_ to it.

Even though it was a relatively pleasant dream, she rather she didn't have it at all. She was up far too late completing a homework assignment for her Psychology course and she could have really used the extra two hours of sleep.

But now she was up and going back to bed wasn't an option. With another sigh, she placed the glitter pen back in the drawer, but kept the notebook with her, opting to stuff it in to her backpack instead.

"Doc Oz will probably want to hear all about this one." She mused to herself. "Wonder if the gym is open this early."

A quick search on her phone revealed that it was, in fact, open. So the blonde grabbed her dufflebag and headed towards her door.

And then proceeded to slip on a loose piece of paper and smack her head into the door.

"Owwww." She moaned, rubbing her forehead. Great, juuuust _great_. Her bad luck was starting early today. She picked up the sinister slip that caused _her_ to slip. It was the invite to the birthday party Nora was throwing Yang. The blonde smiled at how the whole plan for it started.

When she told her energetic friend that she wasn't planning anything special for her twenty-first, she gasped so loud and long, Yang was afraid the girl had stopped breathing all together. She _insisted_ she throw her a party.

Yang was never a big fan of the day. Things always seemed to go wrong for her in _general_ and it was typically even worse on her birthday. But she couldn't say no to Nora when she was so damn excited.

So party it was.

Picking herself up, Yang was on take two for leaving for the gym. Except this time a slip of paper didn't stop her from leaving. It was a person, one she was very familiar with.

Across from Yang's room was her younger sister's room, Ruby. The person she saw outside of the door was _not_ her sister, but Weiss Schnee. She stood there, wearing what appeared to be the resident's over-sized red hoodie and... Not much else. When the ivory-haired girl took notice of the elder sister, her face just about matched the large garment she had on.

"Oh... You're up earlier than usual." Weiss awkwardly greeted.

Yang had only been up half an hour and she already knew one thing.

Today was gonna be a _weird_ day.


	2. Composure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Composure can be a hard thing to hold onto. From embarrassment to life or death scenarios, life tends to throw a lot of curve balls. And some get more thrown at them than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Blue back here again. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story so far! The warm welcome is honestly so touching. Getting the positive feedback has been tremendously helpful to my creative flow!
> 
> By the way, trigger warning for blood in this chapter.
> 
> Anyways! I hope you like this one, lemme know you're thoughts!
> 
> Enjoy the Bees!

“Morning, Weiss. Didn't... Expect to see you here so early.” Yang managed, doing her best to avoid talking about the elephant in the room. It'd be a little easier to do if the damn animal wasn't trumpeting as loud as it could.

  
“Yes, I wanted to get an early start on the day. Thought I would... Stop by and say hi?” Weiss said, the strength in her words dwindling with every word she uttered.

Yang had to admit, Weiss was doing a great job considering the circumstances. However, she wasn't able to destroy every bit of nerves, and thus, her excuse became very shoddy at best.

“In... just a hoodie?”

“Um... I was just changing my pants...”

“Uh huuh.” The blonde remarked. “Well, hi!”

“Hello.”

Another awkward silence as Yang tried to look anywhere but those bare Schnee legs. It wouldn't fair well if she was caught ogling her sister's girlfriend. She was happy for them, really she was (and she did enjoy teasing the ivory-haired girl) but she wished that Ruby would at least give her _some_ warning.

The two started dating when Ruby began high school. Yang and Weiss had been friends for two years at that point and the blonde thought that the two would not get along at all. Ruby was a bit of a wild child (though that never really changed much). Not as hyper as Nora, but on some days, she gave the bubbly girl a run for her money. Weiss was more subdued and uuuhh.... Prissy. Not in a _bad_ way, per say, but it could be off-putting.

Yang expected Weiss to write Ruby off and express her frustration with her.

That's not what happened.

When they met on that first day, the two couldn't pull their eyes away from each other. It was actually really cute to see. Weird, but cute. By the end of the day, Weiss had already asked her out on a date. Weiss. Asking _Ruby_ out. Yang would be the first to admit that she didn't think they would make it two weeks.

Yang would _also_ be the first to admit that she was wrong.

They were still together after all these years.

Again, Yang was _happy_ for them, she just... Wasn't as thrilled about the recent development of their relationship.

According to Ruby (because Rubes told her sister _everything_ ) Weiss wanted to wait until they were both eighteen to be... Intimate. Well, Ruby was eighteen now and... This wasn't the first time she saw or heard Weiss sneaking out of Ruby's room early in the morning.

This _was_ the first time they bumped into each other, though.

“Well, I gotta get going.” Yang informed her.

“R-right.”

The fully clothed woman walked past her and was all set and ready to head down the stairs. But she soon got over her own embarrassment, the desire to tease the girl washed it away. With a smirk, she turned back to Weiss, who was starting to open Ruby's door again.

“Oh, Weiss?”

“Yes?” She answered, stopping her task of opening the door.

“Do you need a ride to campus or are you and Rubes gonna be doing the hanky-panky again?”

The ivory-haired girl choked on air at the comment.

“I beg your pardon?” She answered, blushing indignantly. “I told you I was-”

“Weeeeeeeeeiss.” A high pitched voice called from the bedroom. “Come back to beeeeeed.”

Weiss' face somehow managed to blush even deeper and she attempted to bury herself further into the hoodie.

“I'll take that as a no?” Yang said with a laugh.

“I hate you.” Weiss mumbled, squinting and opening the door fully now.

“No you don't.” She called back as Weiss crept back into Ruby's room. Laughing to herself, Yang finally walked down the stairs.

Aaand proceeded to trip and stumble down them.

“Uuuuuuggh.” She complained, picking herself off of the ground and continuing down the stairs. The blonde had lost track of just how many times she had tripped down those stairs. Ruby got up and down them just fine! Weiss too. Yang just had the worst time with them. She _swore_ it would be the death of her one day.

She rubbed her knee, the appendage took the brunt of the fall. On instinct, Yang went straight towards the kitchen. When you were as accident prone as Yang, you learned to keep five ice packs (minimum) in the freezer at all times. Before she could even open the door, however, she found one on the kitchen counter. Picking it up, she found that it was still frosty.

“Huh.” Yang uttered. She looked around, but neither Ruby nor Weiss were anywhere to be seen. Maybe Yang had caught Weiss on the way _back_ from downstairs? Why did she take out an ice pack?

Oh well, didn't matter. She had a nice cold pack to soothe her hurt knee, and that's what _really_ mattered. The blonde took a seat and sighed as she pressed the cold compress to her light injury. It was probably gonna bruise but Yang didn't care. She was used to bruises from all her little accidents. Also mystery bruises, the ones she got but... Really couldn't remember where they came from.

After The pain has started to subside and the area was more numb, Yang removed the pack and continued on with her morning routine. She found that she wasn't too hungry this morning, so she deemed a piece of toast with jam a worthy breakfast. Grabbing bread from the cabinet, she fished out two slices and slid them into the toaster, pressing down the lever. She grabbed the raspberry jam from the fridge, placed it on the counter and opened up the utensils drawer.

“Aw, come on!” Yang exclaimed. No butter knives to be seen. She pushed around the forks and spoons to see if a stray one got tossed in that bin, but alas, it was not to be. “Great.”

Not about to use her hands to spread it and too groggy to search through the _pile_ of dishes (that _Ruby_ was supposed to handle this week) for a knife to clean, Yang picked up one of the sharper cutting knives and placed it on the counter.

“Yaaaaaang!” Ruby called from upstairs. Knowing the tone of that voice, Yang left her toast behind and headed upstairs. Outside of her door, Ruby was leaned up against it, wearing _much_ more than what Weiss was (thank god). She wore a loose tank top and baggy pajama pants that had roses stamped all over them.

“Hey Rubes, what's up?”

“You forgot this!” Ruby said, holding up a little necklace. It was a golden bow and arrow charm that Ruby dubbed her 'lucky charm', not that it _actually_ helped. “Can't start the day without it!”

“Yeah, you're so right sis.” Yang laughed. She walked up and plucked the necklace out of her hand. “Thanks.”

Ruby smiled brightly and came in for an unexpected hug. Yang reciprocated and took a look at the charm over her little sister's shoulder. Ruby had the luck of being chosen to go over seas on a trip in high school. Part of the young archaeologists club she was in. It was a replica of a good luck charm worn by some monarch long ago.

Yang wondered how well _that_ worked out for them.

“Also sorry about... Weiss and all that.” Ruby chuckled nervously as she pulled away from the hug. “ _Probably_ should have said something?”

“Yeah, that _probably_ would've be nice. Or at least tell her to put some pants on?”

“She uuuh, left them downstairs.”

“Oh my god.” The blonde said, burying her face in her hands. “What, did you just do it _everywhere_ except my bedroom? No, don't answer that, I seriously do _not_ want to know.”

“Go to school!” Ruby giggled, shoving Yang towards the stairs.

“Careful, I don't have my good luck charm on yet!” She exclaimed facetiously.

“Then put it on and get your butt out the door, silly!”

“Alright, _mom_ ”

The two sisters laughed. Yang descended the stairs again, putting her necklace in it's rightful place. She didn't _really_ believe it gave her better luck, but she _did_ feel better with it on. She couldn't quite place what it was. Maybe it was the fact that Ruby gave it to her, but it felt like more than that.

She quickened her pace back to the toast, hoping to grab it while it was still warm. Yang pulled out a small plate and placed the semi-warm pieces on it. Quickly unscrewing the top of the jam jar, she took the butter knife and-

Butter knife?

Sure enough, the sharp knife she pulled out wasn't there, replaced with a rounded butter knife. Perhaps the knife she pulled out wasn't as sharp as she thought. Maybe she _did_ pull out a butter knife, but was too distracted by Ruby calling her that she didn't even notice.

Odd.

Whatever, she needed this anyways.

The blonde finished spreading the jam and scarfed the small breakfast down. She slipped into the leather jacket on the back of the chair in the kitchen. Grabbing her backpack and slinging it over one shoulder, she picked her keys off of the table by the front door.

“Bye, Ruby! Bye, Weiss!” She yelled, opening up the front door. Skipping outside, she strode over to her baby. Her precious little Bumblebee, her motorcycle. “Hello, _gorgeous_.”

Yang slid her fingertips along the seat of the bike, beaming with pride. Everyone tried to talk her out of getting a bike, the blonde had a hard enough time walking down some _stairs_. But she would not be deterred. After saving up money from working at the local cafe, 'It's Bean Wonderful', she finally bought her dream bike.

Unfortunately, people could be jerks and messed with it a lot, especially on campus. How many times did she have to buy new tires after finding them punctured. But this time she got super sturdy tires, ones that wouldn't be pierced so easily.

She hopped on the bike and patted the center of the handles.

“Okay, Bumblebee. Let's have a safe ride, alright?” the blonde biker requested. The bike responded by growling to life when Yang turned the keys into the ignition. “'Atta girl.”

Revving the engine, she pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of the gym. She knew the route like the back of her hand, her bike quickly zipping along the streets. She was certain she wouldn't find any problems getting there.

Though it... Probably would have been helpful to take her gym bag.

Dammit, did she really leave it behind?

As soon as she pulled into the gym parking lot, she felt her back. Just a back pack, no duffle. She must have left it on the stairs when she tripped. With another huff of frustration, Yang started her engine again and headed back the route home.

Of _course_ this happened to her. Even with her 'good luck charm'. Some days she didn't know how she functioned properly. But... Yang had this feeling that someone was looking over her.

Yang didn't believe in much, but with the weird things that happened in her lifetime, she just _k_ newthere had to be something else going on. There were many occasions where she felt this, but the strongest moment was when she was twelve. Her family went on a road trip and stopped by a beach to swim. Yang got pulled into a current. Not being a very strong swimmer yet, she got pulled deeper and deeper down.

Then, she found herself on the beach, coughing up water. She was sure she saw a figure walking away. When her family found her, she asked who that person was, but they didn't see anyone. After that, Yang started believing in guardian angels, and that one _had_ to be looking after her.

She just wished they reminded her to grab her freaking dufflebag though. Maybe if she took a back route it would cut down on the time it took to-

_**Thoom!** _

Something zoomed past her face and brought Yang's attention back to what was in front of her. Namely a car running a red light.

_**Skrreeeeeetch!** _

Bumblebee's tires skidded to a stop, Yang directing the bike to the side to avoid the reckless car. She took a moment to catch her breath and slow down her pounding heart before continuing forward. Yang would consider herself an adrenaline junky, but _that_ one was too close for comfort.

Maybe she _shouldn't_ go to the gym today...

Redirecting the bike, Yang made the decision to head to campus instead.

Perhaps there, she could get some rest before class, those seats always _were_ really comfortable.

**XxXxX**

“Yang? Yang, wake up!” A voice called her from her slumber. Rubbing her eyes, she stretched her sore limbs, forgetting that she still had not healed from the last bout. “Yang!”

“I'm up!” She moaned, forcing herself to rise up from the dusty ground. She looked herself up and down. She was _filthy_. Covered in dirt and dried blood. When was the last time they allowed her to bathe? Did the spectators really _enjoy_ seeing her this gross?

Then again, they were the lot that liked to see young adults fight to the death, so it wasn't _that_ much of a stretch.

“We have a match in an hour, we should get ready.” Yang's partner informed her. She was a faunus, with raven locks and piercing amber eyes. They called her the Shadow Cat in the ring, but her name was Blake. “We don't want to be late.”

No they did _not_. Yang still remembered what befell Jaune when he was tardy. Right as they let him out of the gate, they smashed a hammer into his leg. The crunch reverberated throughout the arena, as did his scream.

He... Didn't last long after that.

Without another word, Yang followed Blake into the room wear they stored their armor. And by armor, they meant the scraps of cheap plastic they provided. It did not provide much protection, but it _felt_ safer than just wearing the normal ratty clothing they wore on their 'down time'.

'Down time', What a joke. That painted the picture that they were allowed the freedom to enjoy themselves. That was one luxury (of many) they were not permitted...

The armor was flashy and brightly colored, Blake said that it was probably to distract people from the grotesque things _actually_ going on.

“Another day at work, huh?” Yang said, slipping off her dirty, sad excuse for a shirt. She always tried to bring some levity right before a match. Blake always seemed to have _something_ on her mind. She was always thinking, plotting, strategizing. But there were some moments where she got the faunus to laugh, to smile.

Yang _lived_ for those moments.

“We are going up against Em and Merc, they're sneaky, we need to be careful.” Blake informed her.

“Yeah, got it.”

At least they knew the crowd would be on their side. Yang and Blake had become quite popular among the 'fans'. Emerald and Mercury? Not so much. If they got more cheers, the people who controlled the fight were more likely to change rules and terrain to favor them. Yang still recalled the time they opened a trap door right as a combatant was about to cut her down.

Still, it was _hard_ to kill people. Yang was an orphan on the street when they found her. They offered her food, shelter and a better life. Liars, the blonde should have spit in their faces and stuck to the streets. They brutally trained her to be a modern gladiator.

Not long after she was recruited did she meet Blake. They were all told to partner up with another kid. Most of the kids were nervous and just waddled about the room aimlessly. Not Blake. She walked straight up to Yang and asked to be her partner. She was always very _determined_ , even as a kid. It was a little strange, but it kept them alive, so the blonde couldn't complain.

“Here.” Said Blake, tossing Yang her bat. Catching it out of the air, the blonde did some practice swings. Her faunus partner pulled out her quiver, strapped it to her back and grabbed her bow.

“Maybe this performance will be so good they'll let us go. We can just walk out and start a new life.” Yang mused, swinging her bat more.

“You know they never will. We're only as good as long as we're useful. If we left, we could shut down this whole operation.”

“Yeah, yeah I know.”

Blake looked over to her partner with a sympathetic expression. She slowly moved over to peer into her eyes.

“Hey. Soon.” She whispered.

“ _How_ soon?” Yang whispered back.

“I've just about worked out the logistics of the escape, but we won't be able to pull it off before we have to go on.”

Yang sighed, hoping to avoid another slaughter.

They had been _trying_ to find a way to escape for years now. The issue was that they could never _attempt_ them. If they did and it failed, they would be killed on site. Blake was right, they were replaceable.

“One more match then?”

“One more.” Blake said, smiling to reassure her.

“Oh woah, don't wanna break up your lover's moment.” A snarky voice taunted from behind them. A snarky voice that they would have to fight soon.

Mercury.

“What do you want?” Yang asked, irritation infiltrating her voice. She didn't even try to hide that she wasn't happy to see him. Most of the combatants had solidarity (which _did_ make it more difficult to fight) but Mercury and Emerald stuck to themselves. They were prickly and rude, always picking people apart. Blake told Yang that it was probably a defense mechanism, but the blonde didn't care.

A prick is still a prick.

“Just wishing you good luck in the match. Not that _you'll_ need it, Blondie.” He said, his tone smug and even.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Asked Yang.

“Seriously, you don't even notice it?” Continued the gray-haired boy. He scoffed and laughed with a roll of his eyes. “Your protective little kitten there takes so many hits for you. She's like your living shield.”

“Shut up before I pull out your _tongue_.”

“Yang, calm down.” Blake reminded her. “No violence before the match, we don't know what they would do to us in the arena if we lash out now.”

“Listen to your protector, Yang.” Mercury chuckled. “She knows better than you.”  
  


**BAM!**

“SHUT IT!” Yang yelled, punctuating it by smashing her bat against one of the metal locker. The sound echoed her anger, brash and loud. The blonde _knew_ she had anger issues, but it sure as hell helped with intimidation. And for a split second, she saw a flash of fear on the boy's priggish visage, replaced soon after with his normal pompous mask.

“Hey! What's going on in here?” A masked guard asked, pointing his gun at the three warriors. They all raised their hands in the air, Yang's bat crashing to the ground, _knowing_ what would happen if they showed even the slightest bit of aggression.

“Nothing, man.” Mercury answered. “Just a little bit of friendly competition.”

“Save it for the match.” He grumbled, lowering the gun and leaving the room. The gray-haired boy followed suit, turning around once more to wink at the girls.

“Asshole.” Yang seethed.

“He's just trying to shake your confidence.” Blake said, running a hand familiarly along her partner's shoulder blade. “Don't let it get to you.”

“So he was lying... right?”

Silence.

“You've been _protecting_ me?” Yang asked, vexed by her admission. She may not have outright admitted it at first, but that silence was more telling then anything the faunus could have said.

“I don't want you getting hurt.”

Yang thought back to all those matches they had together. How many times did Blake get sent to the dilapidated infirmary they provided? How many scars did she have? She knew the one along her neck was there since she was a kid, but there were others. _Fresh_ ones. How many were because she was protecting her.

“So, what? You think... You think I'm weak? That I _need_ your protection?”

“No! Of course not!”

“Well I never _needed_ your protection!”

“I know!”

“I made it _this_ far! I'm strong.”

“ _We_ made it this far, Yang. Together. We're in this together!” She insisted. “I have your back and you have mine.”

“Apparently, it's been more one sided.” Yang grumbled, still offended at this revelation.

“Yang, I-”

“Hey! On in ten!” The guard came back in to announce. The blonde gladiator turned away from her partner, unwilling to listen to anymore. All this time. _All this time_. Blake had just been protecting her. Like she was some incapable _child_. She grew up _just_ like her. They had the _same_ training. She was _just_ as good.

But it was clear that _she_ didn't carry the same sentiment.

“Let's go.” She ordered gruffly. Yang picked up her bat and left the room. She knew Blake was following behind by her soft footsteps.

Their walks to the arena were usually filled with quick witted banter and silly jokes. Anything to lighten the mood. Not this time, only silence. Yang didn't _feel_ like lightening the mood.

Yang felt betrayed.

Maybe she was overreacting, but it just _hurt_ to think her partner, her _friend_ , thought she couldn't fight on her own. This feeling wasn't gonna go away before the fight, but maybe she could channel it. Use this anger and frustration to pummel Mercury.

And prove to Blake that she could handle battles just fine.

“Hey.” Blake softly called. Her gloved hand slipped into Yang's and squeezed. “I just want to say that I care about you. They warned us against it, said we shouldn't grow attached, but I think we both did anyways.”

Yang kept her eyes on the door in front of them.

“We're gonna get out of here.” She whispered. “We'll get out and have a normal life. We won't have to worry about fighting anymore.”

_Again_ , she didn't believe in her ability to do this. Maybe this life was hell, but she thought it was a hell she was _good_ at.

The brawler ripped her hand away from Blake's.

“Let's just get through this match.”

“... Alright.”

“Combatants ready!” A guard shouted. Through the door, Yang could hear their muffled introductions. The crowd cheered much louder for them than Mercury and Emerald. At least _that_ made her feel better. She couldn't be that bad if they cheered so loud. She really shouldn't care about the opinions of them, but damn it was helping shake some of her doubts.

_Some_.

The door flung open and the guards nudged them in. Yang didn't need much prompt, she jogged into the center and waited. Waited for the bell to ring. For the match to begin. She _would_ prove herself. She was strong too! She-

**Ding ding ding!**

“Huah!” On instinct, Yang started the battle off with a large swing of her bat. It narrowly missed Mercury and left her open for both him and his partner, Emerald, to attack. Pushing off with her feet, she jumped out of attacking range, missing the thrust of his sword.

_**Thoom!** _

An arrow whizzed past Yang's head and hit Emerald's weapon that was over the blonde's head. Yang looked back and saw her release another arrow towards the gray-haired boy. If the faunus hadn't hit Emerald, Yang would have been-

No! She was strong! She could face them _both_ if she wanted to. Screw what Mercury said. She could beat the boy to a _pulp_. Let's see him smirk _then._

“RaaaAA!” Yang sent another strike, this time it made contact with the boy's abdomen. He let out a puff of breath, but recovered quickly, swinging his sword towards Yang's legs. The brawler hopped quickly and pulled the bat up to defend against emerald's Javelin.

A brief glint told her that Mercury was about to slash down again, but she was still locked with Emerald. Before she could adjust, she felt herself being tugged away from the fray, both of their opponent's weapon's slashing down into the ground. Yang's partner came up from behind her and shot an arrow right into the boy's leg.

“Aarrg!” He screamed out in pain.

“Why the hell did you do that?” Yang yelled.

“We are in a battle to the death, hurting them is kind of part of that.”

“No! You pulled me back!” Exclaimed the brawler, running up to engage emerald in combat.

“Sorry for saving your _hide_!” Blake exclaimed. She took on Mercury, hitting him with her bow.

“I didn't _need_ your help!”

Yang looked back to her partner. In just a minute, she was able to knock the cocky boy out cold. She _was_ better than Yang. How could she be so blind, Blake was _obviously_ carrying her through this all.

Dammit.

“Yang!” Blake yelled, grabbing Yang's hand and pulling her back, switching their positions.

“GODDAMMIT, BLAKE!” Screamed Yang. “I said I don't need-”

When Yang saw her partner's expression, she stopped what she was saying. It was an expression she had never seen on her partner before. Blake was standing in front of Yang with this... Far off look.

“Blake?”

A blade ripped through her chest from behind and Yang's heart just _stopped_. Emerald's javelin was ripped out from Blake's chest, ripping a scream of pain from her mouth as well. The faunus crumpled forward, leaving Yang to catch her.

“Blake! Blake?”

The blonde brawler fell to her knees with Blake in tow, holding the bleeding girl in her lap. Her chest was rising and falling so fast and so erratically. Blood trickled down her mouth and choked her with pain filled gurgles.

“Oh god no! Blake!” Yang sobbed, her tears falling down her face. She _knew_ this was a possibility, but it never seemed like it would _ever_ be a reality. But here she was. Dying in her arms. The girl she grew up with. The only person she ever trusted in her life.

“I... I...” Blake struggled to say, the blood no doubt flooding her lungs. “I'm sorry.”

“No! No no no! I-I'm sorry! I'm th-the jerk.” Yang choked out. “I let him g-get to my head. Puh-please don't leave.”

“S-sorry for that t-too.”

“ _Please_ don't leave me.” She repeated again like a lost child.

Blake smiled through the pain and struggled to move closer to Yang. As if she had something important to say. When the blonde drew closer, the faunus used the last of her strength to press a kiss against her lips.

“Next time.” She whispered into her ear when she broke the kiss.

And then she went limp.

And cold.

“Blake? Blakey? BLAKE!”

Yang held the cold girl close to her chest and wailed. She clutched her tight, hoping that she could _will_ her back to life. That she could keep the blood from pouring out of her wound and fend the attackers off. That she could get her help.

But this wasn't some fairy tale.

It was real, gritty life.

So she was left to just hold Blake. The girl that had always been there for her. Who always protected her and thought of her. Who put herself in the line of attack, just to save her.

That girl was gone.

“I'm sorry.” Another voice from above said. Yang looked up and saw Emerald above her, Javelin ready to strike. The blonde closed her eyes and-

_**THUNK!** _

**XxXxX**

The blonde gasped and sat up straight. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she came out of her sleeping state. Of course it was the gladiator dream, that one was always terrible, even when the girl _didn't_ die.

The same girl. The same damn girl. But this time she wasn't giving an archery lesson. Maybe the castle dream woke her up early, but she would take that _any day_ over a gladiator one. She didn't need to write this one down. It wasn't new and it wasn't the last time she would have it, of that Yang was certain.

“Are you alright?” A voice asked. The blonde jumped and looked up. Before her stood a girl she had never seen before. She had on a yellow turtleneck shirt with a black peacoat. Her raven hair cascaded down behind her in luscious ripples. Atop her head rested a pair of feline ears.

But the most striking feature were her eyes. A vibrant golden amber. There was something about those honey colored eyes. They stared right through her, and the blonde hadn't even said a word.

“Yeah.... Uh, yeah I'm fine. Bad dream.” Mumbled the blonde.

The girl smiled.

Yang's stomach did a somersault.

“I'm sorry to hear that.” She offered. The girl then gestured to the seat next to her. “Um, may I?”

“Y-yeah sure!”

The girl sat down delicately and put the desk down. Everything she did seemed so graceful, Yang was in awe.

“Sleeping in a classroom probably doesn't help.”

“Yeah, well I got up early, so I thought I would get to class and rest a bit. Guess I was a bit more tired than I thought.” She chuckled.

“Apparently so.”

“I've never seen you before. Are you new?”

“Yes, I just transferred.” The amber-eyed girl said, extending her hand forward. “I'm Blake. Blake Belladonna.”


	3. Courting and Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang tries to dig up more information about this new student, but her results reveal that maybe she's a bit out of her depth...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry I went mia again. But I got you a brand-spankin' new chapter! Let me know what you guys think of it! Feed back is aaalways appreciated. You guys rock.
> 
> Enjoy the Bees!

**Chapter 2: Courting and Questions**

Knowing she didn't have much time, Yang made a beeline for the field behind the dining hall. Thirty minutes to meet up with Doctor Ozpin, but she _had_ to see someone first. The only person she trusted to get information from around campus.

Something about Blake intrigued Yang, she felt drawn to her in a way she couldn't explain. Unfortunately, class started soon after the raven-haired girl sat down next to her, so they couldn't talk much longer. And after class, Yang felt a bit too timid (and embarrassed that she had caught her in such a state) to ask her to hang out or get a cup of coffee with her later.

This is what brought her to the opposite side of campus. Knowing just where he would be, Yang approached the weathered blue hammock. It was in the perfect location, not too shady, not too sunny. The perfect place to lounge around in peace. Everyone _knew_ it was the boy's spot, even though he would never call someone out for 'stealing' it if they did. Wasn't in his nature. It wasn't in jeopardy of being lost now though, not with the colder turn of the weather.

How the boy still managed to hang around in that open shirt, Yang would never know.

Sun Wukong, the gossip boy of Vale U, was resting in his own personal haven. One arm was behind his head, the other held a strawberry banana (his favorite) smoothie. One leg draped over the other and his blonde monkey appendage swung lazily back and forth out the side.

"Sun, I need info, dude." Yang said, cutting straight to the chase. The boy smiled, never opening his eyes.

"Hey, Yang. How's it hangin'" He asked, not a care in the world. Normally the blonde would go along with it (since it _could_ double as a pun) but she did not have the time for that.

"Sun, come on man. Sit up."

With a long sigh, the faunus picked himself up from his resting position, his abs becoming more defined as he bent over. He was _still_ really attractive, Yang would admit that. But that era was over, they had both moved on.

"What can I do ya for."

"I need you to tell me about someone."

"Yeah, that _is_ what I do." He chuckled. "What's in it for me, Xiao Long?"

Yang squinted at the boy. He was the gossip guy, that was true, but if you went to him for information, he often required some sort of favor. Honestly, it was typically a smoothie or some food, but Yang refused to pay.

"Sun, you still _owe_ me."

"What? What could I have possibly done to owe you a-"

"You took me out to dinner, realized you didn't bring your wallet and made us dine and dash."

"Well, everybody's gotta do that once!"

"They _still_ refuse to serve me."

"The food sucked anyways." He brushed off with a wave of his hand.

"You drank too much at prom and puked on my shoes."

"In my defense," He said, raising up a finger. As if he has some sort of excuse. "You had been _talking_ about getting new shoes anyways."

Yang rolled her eyes. Of _course_ that was his excuse. A very Sun-like excuse; poorly thought out at best, insulting at worst. He was lucky that time it was the former.

"I hid your cans of spray paint when the cops showed up at the water tower." She noted.

"They still busted me!" Exclaimed Sun, throwing his hands up.

"That's because you had yellow paint all over your hands, you idiot." Yang chuckled.

"Hey! I got out in a couple hours though!" Sun said, pointing at the other blonde. He flexed his biceps with a smirk. "The man can't keep Sun Wukong down."

" _I_ bailed you out."

"Wait, for real?"

"Yes!"

"Damn."

"Also." Yang added. "I introduced you to Neptune."

Upon hearing that, Sun's smile changed from cocky to soft and warm.

"You did."

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he scooted over and made room for her on the hammock.

"Please, step into my office."

Yang smiled and took the seat offered to her. She _knew_ that last one would get him to agree. Back in high school they dated. It was nice, but... A little volatile. With both of their habits of getting into dangerous situations and Yang's bad luck (and accident prone nature), it was difficult to maintain. However, they managed to remain friends through it all.

Yang even helped him get together with his current boyfriend.

"Now, what do ya wanna know?" The boy asked, taking a long slurp of his smoothie as he waited for Yang's response.

"Well there's this girl-"

"Gay." Sun interrupted. The blonde girl shot him a glare. "Sorry, sorry. Continue."

Sun began sipping from his drink again.

"Anyways, there's this girl. A new girl, transfer student. I'm not sure if you would've heard anything about her yet."

"Name?"

"Blake Belladonna."

"Oooooooh." Sun said, his deep blue eyes becoming as large as saucers. "Got a crush on Blake B. Well I certainly don't blame you."

"I don't have a crush!"

"Sure, sure." The boy chuckled, but something told Yang that he wasn't convinced. "You really know how to pick 'em."

"Meaning?" Yang asked. She crossed her arms. Sun pointed off into the distance with a smile. Low and behold, on a bench on the other side of the field sat Blake Belladonna. She had her nose in a book, blocking out everyone around her.

"I present to you, Blake Belladonna. Absolute _genius_." Sun said, gesturing to the girl sitting on the bench. "She is on full scholarship here, doesn't have to pay a cent. She took a placement test and got _every single question_ right. They thought she cheated and made her take it again. Got another hundred percent."

"Woah." Yang breathed out.

"That's not everything. They kept giving her tests! Complex calculus, advanced physics, literary comprehension. Hell, I heard they even tested her on _rocket science_. She aced them all."

Yang slumped in the hammock, gobsmacked by this revelation. Blake Belladonna, the smartest student on campus. Definitely the smartest person she had ever met, if Sun was correct (which he typically was).

But she seemed so down to earth from their brief conversation. Could someone like that _really_ be that... Normal?

"Wow."

"Speechless? I don't blame you." Laughed the informant. "She's something else. Soooo out of your league."

"I never said I-"

"Buuuuut," Sun interrupted. "You helped me with Nep, so I _do_ owe you."

"What?"

The cheerful faunus quickly sprang up from the hammock and tossed the empty smoothie cup where he was just sitting. Not wanting to risk getting smoothie all over her pants, Yang rose too.

And then she rose a little higher.

"Up ya go!" Exclaimed the monkey faunus. Yang felt two strong arms wrap around her waist and hoist her into the air.

"Woah! Sun! What the hell are you doing?"

"Being a good wingman!" He yelled, throwing the blonde girl over his shoulder.

"What? Sun!"

But it was too late, the boy was already making his way over to the raven-haired girl. Yang squirmed in his hold, struggling to be released.

"Sun!" She hissed. "She's clearly busy!"

"Or bored and needs someone to talk to!"

"Let me down before she notices!"

"Okay!"

That was easy.

_Too_ easy.

The gossip boy lowered her off his shoulder and onto the ground. But as soon as her feet touched the ground, she was spun around and pushed forward, suddenly in front of Blake. Yang looked behind her and glared at Sun. The boy was giving the biggest, cheesiest grin she had ever seen and threw up two thumbs.

"Oh!" Came a voice from the bench. Turning back, the blonde saw Blake looking at Yang with a warm smile. "Hello Yang."

"Uh, hey." Dumbly answered Yang.

_She remembered my name._ The blonde thought. It sparked a flare of excitement in her chest. Until she realized that if she was as smart as Sun said, she probably had a good memory.

"Would you like to sit down?" She asked. Blake closed her book and set it in her lap. The girl gestured for Yang to join her. Yang complied and stiffly took a seat next to the genius.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you I just..." Yang started, but had trouble finishing the sentence. What _was_ she there for? She had to say _something_ , didn't want to come off as creepy. What was that thing that Sun said? Oh yeah! "I thought you might want someone to talk to, you seemed a little lonely?"

"I _am_ new here, so I guess that's true." The girl effortlessly admitted.

Oh thank _god_ she didn't think she was being weird. For once, Sun's antics may have paid off!

"So, Yang." Blake resumed. The constant use of her name sent butterflies through the blonde's chest and she almost feared they would try and escape from her mouth. "What are you studying?"

"Well I was undecided for a while, but I really love photography. The History of Film class is just to get rid of my required history perspective. I assume it's the same for you?"

"Why would you assume that?" She said with a playful smirk.

"W-well I mean you don't uuuuh... _Seem_ like the film type?"

"Things aren't always what they seem, Yang."

The words were said so calm, so even. There shouldn't have been anything special about such a set of words. And yet Yang felt herself _reeling_ from them.

"Sorry!"

"It's fine." The faunus laughed. "So you've heard about my background?"

The girl saw through Yang like she was water.

"Y-yeah." She admitted. "You're pretty smart, huh?"

"I just know the answers."

"Pardon?" Yang asked, her mouth quirked up into disbelieving smile.

"I'm good with tests. I'm not as smart as you think."

Smart _and_ humble, it seemed.

"Sounds _exactly_ like what a smart person would say." Yang teased, seeing a little opening to push back. "Why film?"

"Why photography?"

"I think there's a lot of beauty in this world. I wanna travel the world and capture it all."

"Adventure?"

"That's the idea, yeah." Yang chuckled. The more she talked with Blake, the easier it got. The girl certainly didn't talk like Yang's idea of a genius.

_Things aren't always what they seem._ She reminded herself.

"Why film?"

"Never _said_ I was a film major." She answered with another smirk.

"Then what is your major?"

"I'm not decided yet."

Something about that really shocked Yang. This astute woman had college paid for her, probably had people lining up to offer her jobs when she got out, and she didn't know what she wanted to do.

" **Come at me! And you'll see-"**

Yang's phone came to life, startling her out of her thoughts. She fished the device out to check who was trying to contact her.

"Oh _shoot_." Yang exclaimed. Had it really been thirty minutes?

"What's wrong?"

"I have an appointment and I'm late!" She explained. The blonde practically jumped to her feet. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

She took a step forward and-

"Look out!" Some guy shouted. The blonde looked over to see what the deal was. Unfortunately, she missed the skateboard that was rolling just where she was about to step. The wooden board slipped from underneath her and the blonde crashed to the ground with an unceremonious thud, smacking her head into the concrete.

"Yang!" She heard Blake yell before she passed out.

**XxXxX**

"Yang!" Glynda scolded, smacking her crop on the desk in front of her. Yang stopped looking out the window and jumped. "Pay attention!"

"Uuuuugghh, but this is all so _boring_." Yang moaned. It was really not very princess like, but the knight had never known the girl to care about things like that.

"Are you telling me that you find the history of fungi in our kingdom boring?" She asked incredulously, as if she had insulted her ancestors.

"Yes!" The princess shouted. Her eyes were wide and disbelieving, but after all these years, was it _really_ that much of a surprise that Lady Goodwitch found mushrooms and the like fascinating? "It's not _fun, guy_."

The faunus hid her laughter underneath a cough, but the look of pride and joy Yang shot her told the knight that the blonde knew better. Yang _did_ know her the best, sometimes better than herself.

"Fine then. I'll just quiz you."

"Oh come _on._ "

"Question one! What is our largest export?"

"Sheep." Answered the princess, utterly unamused.

"Where would you send scouts to collect animal pelts?"

"Northeast towards the stream, the animals gather there."

"What is the capital of our neighboring country and what is the name of the monarch?"

"Uuuh." Yang uttered, eyes growing large. She looked like a deer facing down a hunter, completely helpless. Looking towards her knight, the blonde pleaded with her eyes for help.

Eyes darting in between Glynda and Yang, the faunus mouthed the name to Yang.

"Aben?"

"Aben." Glynda said with a deadpan expression.

"Haven!"

"... And the Monarch?"

"Liooooon... Lionheart?"

"Hmmm."

"Are you seriously mad that I got it right?"

"No, I'm mad that you had help." She snipped, turning to give Blake a glare. Snapping back to a more stoic and knightly posture, Ser Nightshade looked ahead. She _had_ to be more careful. She could relax around Yang, sometimes even Glynda, but if anyone else were to see her act in such a way? It could be the end of her.

"Aw, she's just looking out for her dear princess."

"Other knights wouldn't do that, Yang."

"Sure they would!" The princess insisted. "Every knight wants to see their princess survive and succeed, right?"

"Hmmm, I suppose." The woman relented. "Next question."

" _Another_ one?"

Blake didn't need to see her face to know that the tutor rolled her eyes. Yang was normally a very good student, but her attention span wasn't that long. Or rather, it wasn't as long as Glynda wanted it to be. She could handle three hours of learning at a time, maybe even four. But seven full hours of learning _killed_ the princess. The knight could see how mentally exhausted she was after those sessions.

"What is the significance of the rose to our kingdom?"

Yang smiled at the question. The knight knew how much the princess _adored_ this story, so did Glynda. This was most likely her way of throwing Yang a bone. The woman wasn't as heartless as she appeared to be.

Things weren't _always_ what they seemed to be.

"Because the rose spirit watches over and protects us." Yang answered. "Would you like me to tell the story?"

"If you feel so inclined."

The princess took a breath and began retelling her favorite tale.

"It first started with a lonely winter spirit. These spirits were in charge of the chill of snow and they guarded dreams. Most were content with this alone. One was not." She said, her voice full of whimsy.

It was the voice of someone who knew everything that would happen. With how much the princess read that tale, she wouldn't be surprised if she was reciting it from memory, to the word.

"This winter spirit wanted more, wanted companionship. At the same time, there was a single lonely rose in the middle of the field outside of the castle. She too, longed for something else."

Yang looked over to Blake and smiled. Knowing that the older woman wasn't looking, the knight allowed herself to smiled back, a light blush creeping on her face.

"That's when they met." The blonde continued, looking back at Glynda. "The two were happy for such companionship, but they could only be together for a short time. The winter spirit made the rose wither. Unlike most plants though, the rose could bloom to full strength again."

"They went along their life like this for years, until," She paused. "The nearby kingdom was attacked. The kingdom survived but... The rose was trampled by the enemy."

Blake recalled the first time Yang heard the story. The princess snuck Blake into her room on more than one occasion. She taught the faunus what she was learning; reading, writing, history. Many nights, the princess would read stories aloud to her. When Yang read this tale to her, she put the book down and started sobbing.

' _It's so sad, Blakey.'_ A small voice whimpered into the faunus' shoulder. She had never received such affection before. Yang had hugged her before that, but always quick. That time Yang _held_ her. And Blake cautiously held her back, running her tiny hands through Yang's soft curls.

It was a night Blake would never forget.

"The winter spirit wept around the rose, hoping that it would recover. Soon, though, the monarch of the neighboring kingdom discovered the rose. His heart filled with sorrow and he brought the flower back to the castle, hoping to help it survive."

"He gave it water, sunlight, soil." She continued. "He prayed and hoped and cried. The monarch lost sleep trying to save the poor flower. But alas, with no roots, the rose withered. Yet, the power of this selfless love spurred the winter spirit to act. Right before the rose was completely dead, she gave some of her essence to the flower in hope that it would survive."

The knight smiled, remembering how the princess' feet used to kick in excitement at this part.

"The physical rose died, but the two essences mixed together and created something beautiful. The rose spirit was formed. As thanks, she promised to protect and look after the monarch's family line. Where the rose first fell grew a giant wall of roses and thorns, keeping out other invaders. The winter spirit and the rose spirit were free to be together, finally happy. This is why the roses in our kingdom bloom all year, even in the winter."

Glynda smiled.

"You know the tale well."

"So I'm done?"

"Oh, not even close."

"Uuuugggh."

Blake grinned. This was _Glynda_ , what was Yang expecting?

"Ser Nightshade."

Suddenly being formally called, she once again stood at attention.

"Yes, ma'am."

The tutor turned around in her seat to face the knight.

"This might take longer and we have a guest to attend to. Fetch him and show him to his room."

"Guest?" Yang asked. "Who?"

"Your fiance, your highness."

The simple words made the room start to slant for Blake. Yang's fiance was already here? It was... It was too early. That wasn't entirely true, her birthday was coming up remarkably fast, but...

_Blake_ wasn't ready.

"Oh." Was all Yang said. She looked at Blake, sadness and dread plastered on her face. Blake remained stoic, but inside it _broke_ her. She only wished for her princess to be happy. For _Yang_ to be happy. Nothing about this birthday would achieve that though, they both knew that. Yang didn't want to rule, she didn't want to marry this man, she didn't want any of this.

But she had no choice.

Fate was cruel, sometimes.

"Yes, ma'am." Ser Nightshade answered, nodding and turning to leave the room. But before she did, she turned back to Yang one last time and gave a weak smile. She hoped that it was reassuring, but it probably came off as morose.

She could never lie to Yang.

The knight attempted to shake those emotions away and focus on the task at hand. Reaching the gates, Blake noticed a young man with a sturdy build and polished armor. He had short brown hair that seemed to swoop upwards somehow. He was standing next to a castle guard and... Stuffing his face with cupcakes, it appeared.

When the guard noticed the knight, he stood up straight and lifted his head.

"Introducing, his highness, Prince Cardin Winchester!" The man shouted.

_This_ was the man Yang was to marry? The boy who thought stuffing his gob with desserts was a good first impression? Blake had to work for _years_ to command any respect at all, and that was minimal. This oaf was revered simply for his lineage.

This world was exceedingly annoying.

_Don't judge a book by it's cover._ She reminded herself. Maybe he was a good guy with a heart of gold that simply _really_ loved cupcakes. Perhaps he would make Yang happy. That's all that matter to Blake, after all. Yang's happiness.

Though she wished that _she_ could bring that about.

Blake got down on one knee and bowed to the prince.

"Your highness, it is an honor to finally meet you."

"Yes, it is." He answered. Blake's ears twitched and she looked up to the young man. "Eugh!"

Ser Nightshade rose to her feet.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked. In turn, he leaned over to the guard and whispered in his ear. Unfortunately, Blake could hear every word.

"What is that _animal_ doing here?"

The fists behind her back clenched, but she showed no other sign of emotion. She _couldn't_ , lest she be punished.

"Your highness, this is Ser Blake Nightshade. She is the princess' personal knight and the one who is to escort you to your room."

"Ugh, fine." He complained. "Let's just get this over with. Lead me."

"Of course, your highness." Blake answered.

So much for having a heart of gold. If Blake didn't kill him, she knew Yang _would_.

Where did Glynda _find_ this boy? Of course she knew where he hailed from, but how could a prince act in such a manner. The boy was probably two-faced. Sweet and kind when he needed to be, but rude and entitled otherwise. She supposed this was one time where being a faunus behooved her. The boy felt no need to put up pretenses, she saw his true nature.

"How did _you_ land such a position?" The boy asked, eating the last cupcake in his possession.

Blake knew what he meant. How did a _lowly_ faunus become the knight of a princess.

"I worked hard and trained endlessly." Blake answered evenly. "Her highness knighted me herself."

"Must be pretty dumb."

Again, the knight's hands clenched. If it was anyone else, she would chew them out. She would remind them of just how smart Yang _truly_ was. But this _wasn't_ everyone. This was a prince, and if she wasn't careful, she could get executed.

Or taken away from Yang; A fate more cruel than death.

"I ask that you do not speak of the princess in such a manner."

"Whatever." He brushed off. "You certainly don't look like a proper knight. Like you would be any help even if you _did._ "

Blake stopped walking and looked over her shoulder.

"Are you insinuating that I could not keep her safe?"

"Yes." Cardin answered bluntly. He stuffed the remainder of the cupcake in his mouth and crumpled up the wrapping in his fist. "You don't even have a shield."

Cardin carelessly tossed the wrapping aside. Before it could hit the ground though, Blake quickly drew her bow and arrow. Fast as lighting, she shot the paper, the arrow lodging into the wall. The prince frozen as a statue, Cardin had his full attention on Blake.

" _I_ am the shield. There is not a thing I don't see, hear, smell, feel. And if my senses fail me, if my arrows are quick enough, if I'm too slow to the draw? Then _I_ am her shield and I would _gladly_ lay down my life to protect hers." She leaned over, plucked the arrow from the wall and placed it back in her quiver. "Please respect this castle and throw away your trash."

Cardin took back his paper, deciding that silence was the best course of action.

A good decision.

It may come back to bite her, but Blake had _already_ had enough of his sass. She worked too hard to get here, she wouldn't let him think that she couldn't or _wouldn't_ protect her princess to her very last breath.

After that arduous task was complete, the sun had just about set. Yang was probably resting in her room after the long day of studying. She needed her rest, Glynda had been merciless.

Something Cardin said got into her head though. What if she _couldn't_ protect her? Could she really anticipate every threat? Of course not, she was just one person. Yes she could hear better than most and her reflexes were more heightened, but she was still limited. Spurred on by her anxious pondering, the knight decided that more training was needed.

Or she would have if she wasn't stopped by another guard.

"Ser Nightshade, her highness has requested your presence in her room."

"Did she say what it was regarding?"

"She did not."

Curtly nodding her head, the faunus turned herself around and ventured to Yang's bedroom. Externally, she appeared calm. Internally, her heart was pounding wildly.

_**Knock knock knock.** _

"Who is it?" The voice sang.

"It's Ser Nightshade, your highness."

"Come in!"

Turning the handle, the knight entered the room and knelt down in front of her princess.

"You called for me?"

"Oh come on, Blake. That's not necessary." Yang said. She walked over to the knight and helped her rise back to her feet. "I just wanted to see you."

Another sunshine smile that liquefied Blake's heart. She was defenseless.

"I'm happy to see you as well, your highness."

"Blake." The princess asserted, her voice stern. "What did we say about this room?"

"We're... We're..." The knight struggled. She could never finish that sentence, always afraid that someone would overhear.

"We're equals." The blonde finished.

"I'm happy to see you too... Yang." The faunus uttered softly. It was foreign on her tongue, but she was addicted to the sensation. She wished she could _always_ say her name.

Yang.

_Yang._

The blonde smiled and grabbed Blake's hand.

"I love it when you say my name." Yang whispered. Her heart sped up upon hearing this. Her amber eyes locked with cool lilac, ones that seemed to emit her true feelings. "I love _you_."

_I love you too._ Blake thought, but dare not speak aloud. If _anyone_ were to hear that, it would be the gallows for her. Then Yang would be all alone.

She just hoped her eyes could also convey how she felt.

"Kiss me, Blake."

"Is... That an order?"

"I would never order you." She reassured.

Eyes fluttering, Blake leaned forward to close the distance between the two.

"Yang."

"Blake."

**XxXxX**

"Blake?" A voice called.

The raven-haired girl was pulled back to the present, jumping in her seat. The waiting room seats weren't very comfortable, but she hardly cared.

Not when it came to Yang.

She glanced up at the person who called her name. It was a young nurse who she saw helping take care of Yang when she was brought into the emergency room.

"Yes?"

"Your friend is all set to go home now!"

"Thank you." She said with a smile. Rising from the uncomfortable chair, she made her way over to the room they kept Yang in.

"Oh! H-hey Blake." The blonde greeted, pulling her arm into the sleeve of her jacket. "Sorry to drag you into this, you didn't have to stick around ya know."

"I know, but I wanted to." She honestly answered. She would _always_ stay for Yang, one would think she would understand that by now.

That was, if she retained her memories.

"Thanks." She chuckled. Blake had to contain her reaction, but Yang's laugh _still_ made her heart beat against her ribs like a wild animal; fierce, but natural at the same time. "I'm a bit.. Clumsy, as you saw."

_It's not your fault._ Blake thought.

"It's alright, I've been known to walk into walls when I read books." Blake lied. "So you are in good company."

The blonde smiled even brighter at that. How could she do that? How could she make Blake fall in love with her more and more each time. It didn't seem possible, but she knew it was. It was wonderful and magical.

But also painful, considering Yang never knew her.

"Well I should probably take a bus home."

"You're taking a bus?"

"Well yeah, my ride is still at campus and the doc said I shouldn't be driving." Yang informed. "Something about my head being... Something with a 'c'"

"Concussed?"

"Yes, that!"

"If you insist on taking the bus, mind if I tag along?"

"Uuuuuh, are you sure?"

"Yes." Blake answered firmly. "Wouldn't want you passing out on the bus, would we?"

"I guess not."

"Then let's go."

Yang didn't know she would travel to the ends of the earth for her if she had to. A simple bus ride was a single drop in the endless ocean of love she harbored for the blonde.

For her princess.


	4. Chapter 3: Jasmine Sought and Espresso Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of a new relationship can be strange. But when one is so familiar, it might not feel like a beginning at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter! I'm gonna tryyy and draw stuff for each chapter, so keep an eye on my art blog for that! (dorky-fish-doodles on Tumblr) Thanks for all your support and theories, I love hearing what y'all think it going on here (I have soooo many plans mwahaha). 
> 
> That being said, I must issue a trigger warning. Gun content in this chapter (a character also points it towards their head). No violence, but I wanted to give this warning just in case this would be too much for someone. 
> 
> Let me know what ya think!
> 
> Enjoy the Bees!

"I'm sorry... Again." Yang professed to her companion. She had been riding bumblebee so much, she almost forgot just how long the bus took.

Almost.

They were just about at the right stop, but even then she still had twenty minutes to walk from there. On top of that, it was getting dark out. She didn't know where Blake lived, but she really didn't like the idea of the woman traversing the town at this hour.

Sure Yang did it pretty often, but she was _used_ to the lay of the land. That and she had her personal guardian, not that she would admit it to Blake. They just met today and she had already flipped out about a nightmare, was carried across the quad on a blonde boy's shoulder and smashed her head into the pavement due to an unintentional skateboarding accident. She figured that 'Oh! I'm also convinced I have a guardian angel that looks after me!' would just be too much.

"Yang." Blake said, so familiar and calm. "You don't need to apologize. I wasn't about to let you go home alone like this."

The blonde rubbed her head. She was still fuzzy from the injury, but she was feeling fuzzy in another way due to Blake's proximity. The bus was pretty full when they first came on, so they had to squish close together. And yet, even though most people around them exited, she still remained close to the blonde.

"Thanks. I've done it before though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I really wasn't kidding when I said I was clumsy earlier. I'm kind of... Accident prone." Yang admitted, moving her hand through her hair in a bashful gesture. "They're pretty used to seeing me at the hospital."

"That explains a lot." Blake laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"When they wheeled you in, the nurse asked me 'what happened _this_ time?'"

"Yeeeeeeeaaaah."

"If you bring that much business to them, maybe they should name a wing after you." The raven-haired girl suggested, her lips curling up at her own musing. Yang laughed a bit too loud at that, some other riders looked up, startled by the sudden outburst.

"I'll suggest that next time." Yang told her. She held her hands up in the air and gestured across. "The Xiao Long Chronically Clumsy Ward!"

Blake started giggling at the name and Yang felt thousands of cocoons burst within her, the fluttering crashed over her in waves. Blake's laugh, it was _definitely_ something she wanted to hear more of. Who _was_ this girl. Just one day, they had only known each other for one day.

But it felt more like... An eternity.

Not like they were meeting, but they were meeting again.

_Note to self, never tell her that. You'll just sound like a crazy person._ Yang noted internally.

"Hopefully it will be a while till your next visit." Said the blonde's companion.

"No promises." Yang told her with a wink.

Blake looked over at Yang, Yang looked back. And for a couple seconds, their eyes locked. Lilac peering into amber and vice verses. The blonde wanted to know what was going on behind those gorgeous gold eyes. What the brilliant woman was thinking. She wanted to get to know her.

"Yang?"

"Yes?" She breathed, still caught up in the woman's eyes.

"I _think_ our stop is coming up."

"Our stop?" Yang asked. The vehicle hitting a bump in the road reminded her that they were still on a bus. "Our stop!"

Awkwardly, she reached behind her and pulled the stop chord to be let off. The bus screeched to a halt and all the riders were pulled forward by the sudden lack of locomotion. Blake did not seem ready for such a stop and nearly fell on top of Yang's lap. A hand on the blonde's thigh prevented such an occurrence, but caused Yang's face to heat up.

Was that a symptom of the concussion? Probably not.

"Sorry." Blake mumbled, rising to her feet. "Let's get you home."

"Y-yeah."

Twenty minutes later and the two were in front of Yang's house. They made casual conversation the whole time, the 'get to know you' kind. Talking to Blake was easier than it _should_ be. She was incredibly smart and insanely beautiful. All things considering, Yang should've just been a stuttering mess. And yet, talking to her was as easy as walking.

Actually, it was more akin to _breathing_.

So natural and refreshing.

"Home sweet home!" Yang announced.

"This is your place?" Her companion questioned. "It's cute."

"Thanks." She said, rubbing the back of her head. "But it's actually our dad's place. He's over seas, military."

"Our?"

"Yeah. Me and my little sister, Ruby."

"It's just you two?"

"Yup! Well, Weiss is there a lot too. She's Ruby's girlfriend." The blonde further explained. "We lost Ruby's mom when she was just a toddler, mine left when I was still a baby. So it's just been the three of us. Two, with dad away."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't gone through all those things."

Yang smiled brightly, trying to lighten the mood, but a darkness seemed to pass through golden eyes.

"I know exactly what you mean." Blake uttered in a low voice. "We are shaped by our past, the good and... The bad. Even the painful."

A chill ran down Yang's spine. She obviously hit a nerve, that was clear. It begged the question though, just what had Blake gone through? What created the woman she met today? She opted not to ask, not yet. Instead, she placed a hand on Blake's shoulder.

The faunus shook her head a little, her ears twitching a bit. Just like that, the shimmer returned to the gold, to the amber encased eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We have to feel these things sometimes, right?" Yang supplied.

"I suppose so." Remarked Blake. "Let's get you inside, though. Don't want to risk you slipping on another skateboard."

The blonde laughed again. This girl seemed to be good at eliciting that reaction.

"This late? That's only happened twice!"

Blake joined in her laughter, following Yang as she headed towards the front door.

"Yang!"A voice squeaked as soon as the girls entered the house. Ruby, who seemed to be pacing the house, rushed to the door. "Where have you been? You weren't answering any of my calls and Doctor Ozpin said you missed your meeting with him!"

"Sorry, Rubes. I had a little accident." Yang explained, gesturing to the gauze on her head.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed, standing on her tip toes to get a better look at Yang's head. "What happened?"

"Ah, you know. Skateboard, slipping and falling. Classic Yang."

" _You_ were skateboarding?"

"Against my will, but yes."

Ruby chuckled and pulled her older sister in for a big hug.

"I'm just happy you're alright. Why did you ignore my calls though?"

"Must've had it on silent, I'm sorry."

The younger girl pulled away and gave Yang a warm smile. Soon though, her gaze flicked over to the woman with Yang.

"Oh, hello." Ruby greeted. "Yang, aren't you gonna introduce me to your friend?"

"My bad." Yang chuckled. "Ruby this is Blake. Blake this is my sister, Ruby."

"Nice to meet you, Blake." Her little sister said, extending a hand. Blake looked at her hand and back to Ruby. It was... Odd. She scrutinized the small red-head, looking her up and down before grasping her hand in her own and giving a tentative smile.

"Likewise."

"She helped me get back." Explained the blonde. "Blake was there to see my sick tricks."

"Yes." She said, looking a bit more relaxed than she had a minute ago. "So sick they literally got you sent to the emergency room."

"Yang is a frequent visitor there." Ruby giggled. "You should have seen the time she broke her nose, fractured her wrists, and cut open her forehead all in one day."

"How did she manage _that_?"

"She forgot to tie her shoelaces."

Yang groaned while the other two laughed at her clumsy nature. She _was_ worried about Blake and Ruby not getting along, but now she was worried they would get along _too_ well.

"Well as fun as this Yang roasting session is, Blake's probably tired." Yang interjected.

"Oh, that's true." Ruby said. She then looked to the raven-haired girl and smiled. "But if you wouldn't mind sticking around a bit, dinner is almost done. You're more than welcome to join us!"

Oh why didn't Yang think of that? Instead, she was trying to shoo away the girl who helped her get her home. Way to go, Xiao Long.

"Yeah, Rubes usually makes enough to feed an army... And eats half of it herself."

Ruby smacked her sister lightly in the side. When she looked back to Blake, she was looking in between the sisters. A smile on her face but... Yang could almost see a perplexed expression underneath the surface, hiding behind her smile. Was it so odd for sisters to act this way? Yang didn't think so. There were many siblings who teased each other.

"I appreciate the offer, but I have a lot of school work I need to get done for tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, of course. You _did_ just transfer in." Yang said.

"Yes, they are only _just_ so lenient when it comes to adjusting." Her companion chuckled.

"Thanks again. For... Sticking around and dealing with me."

Blake's expression turned when she said that. What was once a face of calm serenity was replaced with a disappointed frown. She leveled Yang with a poignant look. It made the blonde shiver with it's intensity.

"I wasn't _dealing_ with you, Yang. I wanted to help." She told her. Her voice was calm, her tone not raising above it's normal sound. But the way she said it made Yang feel like this was very important to Blake. "There's a difference."

"Yeah, I guess so." Yang said. "Thank you."

Blake nodded, a simple smile gracing her lips once again. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a pad of paper. She wrote something down, ripped it off and handed it over to Yang.

"If you need anything, let me know." Blake told her. "Good bye. It was nice meeting you, Ruby."

She turned towards the door, but as if she had remembered something else, she slowly turned back and made direct eye contact with Yang.

"You too, Yang." She breathed. And then she was gone, left out the door. Yang found herself just... Staring at the door the raven-haired girl used to exit.

"What did she mean 'meet'?" Ruby asked.

"We just met today."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Huh." Ruby murmured

"What is it?"

"You just... It seemed like you knew each other for longer." Explained the redhead.

Yang opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. Honestly? It _felt_ like she knew Blake for longer. She couldn't quite place why, but the girl was so _painfully_ familiar to her.

So _wonderfully_ familiar.

But why? She wasn't like anyone she had ever met before, so it wasn't like she reminded her of someone from her past. Something inside her told her that there was some unspoken connection between them...

No, that was ridiculous. What was she even thinking, they had only just met.

Maybe it was just as Sun had said. Maybe she _did_ have a crush on her.

But would one hit this hard? This fast?

Yang wasn't so sure.

**XxXxX**

"Right... Yes, of course." Yang uttered into the receiver, barely managing to contain the cracks in her voice. The ones that threatened to reveal how she truly felt about what she just heard. " I understand. I'll be in for... Check ups... If that's still necessary."

The man on the other end assured her that it would be. She would be a frequent visitor now, many treatments, procedures. Everything that would probably cost her a fortune and do virtually nothing for her.

She didn't know why they were gonna bother, it's not like they knew for sure what would cure her. No matter what, her days were numbered.

Much lower than most people.

And she was powerless to stop it.

"I'll see you Thursday then. Thank you." She softly muttered, slowly placing down the landline. As soon as she did, her breathing quickened. Tears bubbled up in the corners of her eyes and they threatened to pour down her face in heavy streams, rivaling any river she had ever encountered.

"Yang! Your break ended five minutes ago!" Jean, her co-worker, shouted from outside the break room. The blonde shook her head and wiped her eyes the best she could. She knew that if Jean saw how upset she was, she would understand and send her home, but she couldn't do that to her. The cafe was hopping and with how short staffed they were, it would be downright cruel to leave them here.

"Sorry." Yang said, slipping her apron over her head and fastening it in the back. "I'll be right there."

She took a deep breath, put on a phony smile and walked back out. She knew if she smiled long enough (even if it was disingenuous) soon it would become a real one.

Since her break, it _had_ actually died down a bit. There was no line and all the patrons seemed to be enjoying their beverages in peace. Out of habit, Yang took a rag and started to wiped down the counter. Seemed as if someone had just done that a few minutes ago, but she truly just wanted to look busy. Her mind was buzzing with the news she had just received. How could she _not_ think about it, it was literally life and death.

And it seemed she was leaning towards the latter.

"Hello." A soft somber voice announced, breaking her out of her tumbling thoughts. She looked up and smiled.

"Well if it isn't my favorite customer!" Yang said cheerfully, placing the rag to the side and stepping up to the counter. "What can I get you today?"

A pointless question, honestly. She _knew_ what the raven-haired girl was going to get. The woman came in every single day and ordered the same thing. A single cup of Jasmine tea. No sugar, no cream. Just a simple cup of tea.

She always came up to the register when Yang was cashing people out, it seemed. And though she saw her on a near daily basis, the blonde was never able to glean anything off of her other than her tea preference.

She was a rather _sad_ looking person, if she were honest. She looked run down, tired, depressed and apathetic to everything. It was so odd to see, the woman was so young, around Yang's age. How could someone in their twenty's be beaten down by the world so harshly.

Yang supposed that the cat appendages above her head could contribute to that. Being a faunus wasn't easy, even with the strides that had been made. And judging by her clothes (a wardrobe that consisted of a beat up and weathered purple hoodie, flannels, fingerless gloves, and a ratty scarf), it seemed like she had been on her own for a while. She was possibly even homeless.

"Could I get a cup of Jasmine tea?" She asked, just as she always did.

"Of course." She told her. "Will that be all?"

Again, a pointless question.

"Yes." She told her. Then, before Yang could even tell her the total, she took out the exact change and left the counter to sit back down.

She certainly was a shy one.

The blonde walked over and prepared the beverage for the woman. Over her shoulder, she took a peak at the girl. She wasn't watching Yang, she wasn't anxiously awaiting her drink. She was just sitting there, looking at her hands on the table. Staring into them as if they contained the secret of life that she was missing.

She always looked into her tea cup the same way, Yang noticed. In fact, it usually took her the whole day to drink it all, if she even _finished_ it. She often stayed there until closing time. It wasn't a _real_ mystery why she did this. If Yang was right and she was homeless, it was a good way for her to escape harsh weather.

Her heart ached at the thought. This poor girl, all on her own.

Alone.

Just like Yang.

Without thinking, she grabbed a croissant from the case and placed it on a plate. She grabbed the mug and the plate and walked over to where the woman had seated herself. A look of confusion crossed her customer's face when she placed the food item down. She looked between her and it.

"I didn't order an-"

"I know, but you seemed like you needed it." Yang explained softly. "Don't worry, it's on me."

The woman just stared at her. The blonde never really caught a good look at her eyes before, she was always avoiding eye contact. Such a vibrant gold, so lively, unlike the girl's normal disposition.

"Thank you." She simply told her, before averting her gaze once again. Yang just smiled at her and walked back behind the counter. She pulled the money she owed for the croissant out of her own pocket and placed it in the cash register. She was pleased to see the girl taking a tentative bite out of the pastry when she looked up. Her feline ears twitched in enjoyment.

Unfortunately, Yang found herself with nothing to do again.

_Back to wiping down the counter._ She thought, grabbing her rag again. This now gave her the opportunity to think about the news she had just received once more. What was she to do now? She barely survived off the income she was on now and she was working two jobs. Treatment? It would run her dry. Not to mention she probably wouldn't be able to work both jobs when the illness got worse.

Maybe she could look into investing in some stocks? She didn't really know much about them, but she could learn. After all, she learned how to do her taxes, her bills, everything on her own.

Or maybe she should let the disease take it's course, just... Give in. She hated that the thought crossed her mind. She was a fighter. She crawled her way out of hell. How could she give up now?

She kept wiping until she heard another ring, signaling that someone had entered the store.

A customer.

At least this would take her mind off that damn phone call.

But when she looked up, she saw a sight that made her heart skip a beat in dread. A man, just under six feet tall, came through the doors. He had on a knit mask that covered everything but his mouth and eyes. Time seemed to slow down as he approached the counter.

Then, from inside his jacket, he pulled a revolver out and aimed it at Yang's head. Her mouth parted as she stared into the barrel, knowing the _thing_ at the end could be _her_ end. It glistened and gleamed, like the poison apple that killed Snow White.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly reached her ears. She shook her head and realized that the man was now making demands.

"Wh-what?" She squeaked out, shakily raising her hands in front of her.

"I said empty the cash register!" He shouted, emphasizing with a jab of his gun. "Now!"

"Okay!" She replied, shuffling with the drawers, looking for the key. Her breathing was quickening, her hands were dropping everything she tried to pick up. She was in a panic.

This man could _kill_ her.

"Don't anyone try anything!" He said, turning around to wave the gun at the other patrons. She was relieved to not have the implement of destruction aimed at her face. But now the others were in danger, they were feeling what she had. What she _still_ felt. "Everyone get down on the ground!"

The power of what he wielded was strong. Almost simultaneously, all the customers lifted off of their seats and onto the floor. The all curled up on the ground, hands over their heads. They all cow-towed to his will.

Everyone except...

"I said _on_ the _ground_!" The man asserted. Yang looked up from the register. That girl, the one who came in every day, the one who ordered Jasmine tea and nothing else. She was still sitting calmly in her seat, taking a sip from her tea. This irritated the armed man and he took a step closer, holding his gun tighter. "Hey!"

When he said that, the girl slowly turned her head to look at him.

No, she _glared_ at him, ears bend down in irritation.

It was a complete shift in demeanor. The girl always seemed sad, distraught, hopeless. She had only ever been this way since she started coming in. Now? She seemed stronger somehow. More confident.

And pissed off.

"What?" She uttered in a grumble.

"Do you want to die?" The man growled back. He pushed his gun in closer.

The woman maintained eye contact with the man, eyes gold arrows, as she slowly rose from her seat. Apparently, the arrows landed, because the man took a step back in surprise.

"Are you prepared to kill?" She asked him.

The man seemed at a loss for words, his eyes seemed to dart about. Honestly. _Yang_ wouldn't know what to say either. The bluntness in her question, it was striking.

Intimidating.

"Are you crazy? I have a _gun_." He said. Waving the weapon around, he stomped his foot. It was likely in an attempt to intimidate the raven-haired girl.

Juxtaposed with the woman's reaction, it just made him look like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

" _I'm_ prepared to die." She stated, taking another step closer. The phrase sent _chills_ down Yang's spine. "Are you prepared to kill? To have my blood on your hands, to have theirs?"

"Sh-shut up!" He shouted, cocking his gun and aiming it right at the woman's forehead. "I'll kill you! I _swear_!"

As soon as he said that, the woman walked right up to him. She placed a hand on his gun and pulled it up, pressing it right in the center of her forehead. Yang could see the man panic, his chest began heaving from this sudden action on the woman's part.

She was unfazed as she held the barrel of the gun at her head. She didn't blink, just stared at him with steely gold, cold and dangerous. Was this _really_ the same girl?

"Then do it." She almost whispered.

"What?" The robber whimpered.

"You said you would kill me." She explained, her voice level. "Do it."

"I... I."

"Pull. The fucking. Trigger." She told him. The blonde's eyes widened. The crowd was split between averting their gaze and gluing their eyes to the unfolding scene. Were... Were they really going to see someone die? Did it really have to come to this? The gun was there, plush against her head.

They stared at each other for a minute, but it felt like hours.

Until...

"Guh!" The man voiced, releasing the gun and dropping to the ground. He fell to his knees, burying his face into his hands, sobbing like a lost child. No one was sure what to do. Nobody expected the man with the weapon to break down like that.

The girl stood over him. For a second, Yang was worried she would take that chance to use his own weapon on him. But she didn't. She flipped the gun around and approached the counter. Yang wished she didn't flinch when she did, but she couldn't help it.

The raven-haired girl looked a bit betrayed at the reaction, but placed the weapon on the counter and turned around. The old demeanor was back, the morose one she always carried with her. And then she walked out the door.

"Yang? Are you alright?" Jean called from behind. "God, he held that gun right at you! But don't worry, the police are coming."

That girl...

"Yang?"

What could have possibly made her so... Jaded.

"Yang!"

The blonde jumped at the call.

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" Jean asked. Now that she was facing her, she could see tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm... I'm o-okay."

"Are you sure?"

"No." She honestly answered. This day was a roller coaster of emotions. And yet, all she could think about was that girl. She was so... _Ready_ to die. What a dark life she must have had. One she might still have.

"Go home." Jean told her.

"What?"

"We've got this covered, we'll fill the police in on what happened." Yang's co-worker explained. "And I don't think _he's_ going anywhere."

The man who had them all cowering in fear was now on the ground, quivering. A group of patrons surrounded him, making sure he didn't leave the establishment. It was a bit sad to see, the man didn't seem much of a threat now, just someone down on their luck.

Yang hoped that he would get the help he needed.

The blonde couldn't help him, but there _was_ someone that should _could_ help today

"Yeah... Um, thanks Jean." Yang said absentmindedly. Eyes on the exit, Yang punched out and walked towards the door without another word. As soon as she was outside, she quickened her pace. She thought she saw her turn left out the cafe doors, so she followed in the same direction.

She was now running. It probably wouldn't be good for her health, but she didn't care. Down an alley, she spotted a figure with a slouched posture, wearing the same purple hoodie.

"Hey!" She called out.

Cat ears twitched and swiveled. Soon too did the person they belonged to. The woman looked rather perplexed by her presence, but only barely. She hid it beneath her mask of indifference.

Lucky for Yang, the raven-haired girl didn't try to evade her, the faunus' feet became rooted to the concrete beneath them.

"Hello."

"Really? That's all you have to say?" Yang asked.

"I'm... Not sure what you mean."

The blonde took a deep breath. She tried not to prod into other's lives, especially people closed off like this girl. But She was clearly hurting, and Yang wanted to help.

She _needed_ to help her.

"You were... So ready back there."

"I've dealt with people like that before." She stated. "I knew what I was doing."

"That's not what I meant." Yang explained. "I meant that you were so ready to... Die. He could have _killed_ you."

"He wasn't ready to take a life." Stated the woman, looking away from Yang. "There was nothing to worry about."

"You didn't know that!" The blonde shouted. This seemed to grab the faunus' full attention, amber eyes widening and flitting back over to Yang. "He could have pulled it out of fear. He could have accidentally done it, his _hand_ was on the _trigger_."

The woman looked down at her feet.

"You didn't know." Yang repeated.

"Why do you care?" Growled the raven-haired girl. "What does it matter what happens to me? He pointed at _your_ head too! Be more concerned with yourself!"

Did this woman really care so little about herself? Did she really value a stranger's life so much more than her own. Yang had to say that she understood that sentiment, but this was to an extreme.

"Take your own advice." She whispered. "Do you really not care if you live or die?"

"It wouldn't have killed me." She muttered.

"A _bullet_ wouldn't kill you?" The blonde asked in a disbelieving tone. She crossed her arms and popped out her hips.

"No." The woman answered, completely serious. The blonde looked her over for a couple seconds. Did she think she was immune to danger? Or did she just have a death wish? Either way, Yang couldn't let her go on like this. _She_ may not have had help in the past, but that doesn't mean this woman didn't need it.

"Where are you staying?" Yang asked.

"What?"

"Do you have a place to stay?" She rephrased.

The raven-haired girl's silence was telling.

"So, you're homeless."

"I don't need a home."

Yang frowned. This girl. She was so _convinced_ she didn't _deserve_ anything. Again, it begged the question; How did it get this bad? What made this woman who was standing in front of her? What destroyed her notion of self preservation and love?

"Well, now you got one." The blonde found herself saying, before she could really think about it.

"Excuse me?"

"I have a couch." Yang stated. "You can stay there until we get you back on your feet."

"You shouldn't have to deal with help-"

"I'm not _dealing_ with you. I _want_ to help you. There's a difference." She interrupted. "Besides, it will be nice not being alone."

Why was she doing this? She didn't know this woman, she could be crazy. She just placed a _gun_ against her head just moments ago! She was clearly not stable.

But that's _exactly_ why she _needed_ to take her in. The woman reminded her of herself years back. Bitter, unraveling and angry at the world. She was so _mad_ back then. So mad at the terrible, rotten luck that life had doled out to her.

And yet, she found a way out. She actively tried to look on the bright side of everything she encountered. It helped her more than she ever thought possible. She was lucky she discovered the power of this on her own, but it isn't that easy and some people need a push.

"Are you sure?" The woman asked.

"Positive." She said with a nod of her head.

"Um... Alright." She softly agreed. The blonde got a giant grin on her face and motioned for her new roommate to follow her.

"Alright. Here, it's this way." She stated. She spun around and began walking in the direction of her apartment. "I'm Yang, by the way."

"I know."

"You do?" She asked, spinning around and walking backwards to face the other woman. The woman smiled and pointed at her torso where a small name tag hung. "Oh right."

And that was the first time she heard the raven-haired girl laugh. It wasn't long or very loud, but a little giggle. It was very strange to hear but... Pleasant to the ears.

"Weeeeeell." Yang prodded, still walking backwards.

"Well what?"

"Uh, your name?" She asked. "If you're gonna be living with me, I really should know it. Don'tcha think?"

She was silent for a second before looking up at Yang, amber intensely locking with lilac.

"Blake." She informed her, opening up her hand for a shake.

The blonde took the woman's hand in hers.

"Nice to meet you, Blake."

**XxXxX**

Yang gasped as she bolted upright in her bed. That was a new one, she couldn't recall a dream where she worked at a cafe before. Well, she worked at one in _real_ life, but this felt different. A different... Time period? Who used landlines anymore?

Once again, she pulled out her journal and started jotting down the whole thing.

Or rather, what she could remember.

Getting some bad news on the phone. A customer... That girl. It _had_ to be the same girl. The one that was in all her dreams.

"Who are you?" She found herself asking again, as she often did.

Then there was a gunman who was robbing her. The girl just straight up pointed the glock at her _head_. Jesus, she was metal. Aaaaand probably not the most stable.

Weird, she usually _seemed_ pretty strong. But here, she was just sad and defeated. It was odd, something she would definitely bring up to Dr Ozpin at their meeting.

After inviting her to stay, everything went a bit fuzzy. She remembers the girl accepting and she remembers introducing herself as Yang, but she couldn't remember the girl's name. She _never_ could. Couldn't even remember what she looked like. She liked to imagine that she could figure it all out if she only knew the woman's name.

**Bzzt bzzt.**

Her phone sounded on the stand next to her. Picking it up, she saw that she had missed a call.

A call from Blake Belladonna.

Ever since the girl helped her home, they had been texting each other back and forth. It had been about a week and they finally set up a time to properly hang out outside of classes and emergency rooms.

Yang was to meet her at the coffee place she worked at, 'It's Bean Wonderful', after her meeting with the doc. She was happy that Blake hadn't tried to pry into the reason Yang saw Oz. These dreams had started when she was sixteen. She didn't think anything of it for a while, but when they became too much, her dad started to look for people to help her. He suggested she write all her dreams down, which _did_ help her a little.

She went through countless therapists, but they didn't really help her in the way that she needed them to. No one did until Doctor Ozpin. She didn't know _what_ it was, but she found the man to be so calming and helpful. He didn't treat her like she was crazy and she adored him for that.

A meeting was scheduled that day and she was _glad_ it was. This was a new dream and it felt... Important to her.

Her social life was _also_ important though and with the dream all written down, she called Blake.

" _Hello?"_ The voice on the other end said.

"Hey, Blake! It's Yang."

" _I know."_ Blake giggled over the receiver.

"Right right." Yang said. Welcome to the twenty-first century, Xiao Long. "Sorry I missed your call, what's up?"

" _Well I might be a little late to the cafe and I just wanted to let you know."_

"Oh, that's all?" The blonde asked. "It's alright, you could've just texted me, you know."

" _Yeah, but calling feels a little more personal, don't you think?"_

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The blonde conceded. "Hey, how about this. You tell me your order and I'll grab it for you."

" _Are you sure about that?"_

"Yeah, it's no issue." Yang waved off. "So what do you want?"

" _I've never been there before, what do they have?"_

"I mean... Like, normal coffee shop stuff?" Yang prattled off. "Coffee, cappuccinos, _frappuccinos_ , lattes, mochas, chai, tea-"

" _Tea sounds wonderful."_ Blake interjected. _"What kind of teas do they have?"_

"Uuuuh, you'd think I would remember this, I _do_ work there." Yang laughed. "I guess the normal ones?Chamomile, green, black. I think they also have some weird passionfruit one, maybe a mango flavored one?"

" _Do they happen to have Jasmine?"_

The phone nearly slipped out of Yang's hand at that.

"Wh-what?"

" _I was just wondering if they had Jasmine tea."_ Blake repeated. _"It's my favorite."_

Jasmine tea.

Just like... Her dream...

No, it was merely a coincidence. That had happened before, where someone said something she had just dreamed about. She always needlessly freaked out. Yang took a deep breath to calm herself.

But the way she said it...

"Yeah, they do." Yang answered. "Want anything in it?"

" _No, just the tea."_ She replied. _"Thank you, Yang"_

"No... Problem."

" _Is everything alright?"_

"Yeah! You just... Sort of reminded me of someone. Don't worry about it."

" _Alright...So,"_ Blake said, sounding just a bit concerned. _"Twelve then?"_

"I'll see you there." She concluded, hanging up the phone.

Jasmine tea.

_Jasmine_ tea.

It meant nothing, it was just a coincidence. She shouldn't freak out over something as trivial as that.

And yet... Something about the image of golden eyes peering over a cup of tea, directly at her. Something about that felt so familiar, so striking.

It felt so much like... Home.


End file.
